Liquid rheostat.



G. SQUIRE.

LIQUID RHEOSTAT.

APPLICATION FILED Nov. 20. I9I4.

Patented Nov. 23, 191

VIIIIIIIII ,1573/4571554 Inventor George SQuITe,

Witnesses:

b5 QA His Attorney UNITED sTATEs PATENT onirica.

GEORGE SQUIBE, 0F HALENSEE, GERMANY, ASSIGANGR T0 ELEGRIC v CQMPANY, A. CORPORATION F NEI/V YORK.

LIQUID RHEOSTAT.

meines.

Application ed November 20, 1914.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, Geenen Somma, a subject of the King of Great Britain, residing at Halensee, Germany, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Liquid Rheostats, of which. the following is a specification.

This invention relates to rheostats coniprising electrodes dipping into a. liquid.

It is customary to Vary the resistance of the rheostat by varying the wetted surface of the electrodes, and in one class of such devices, the electrodes are stationary while the level of the electrolyte is caused to rise and fall by suitable means. In some of these rheostats, the vessel is furnished with a regulable overfiow which limits the level In some of the rheostats of this class, however, there is not a suicient circulation of the liquid tov keep the electrodes cool at their tips, where the greatest cooling effect is rel quired.

The object of my invention, therefore, is to insure a good circulation of the liquid among the tips of the electrodes, and I accomplish this by giving the vessel such a conformation that the entering stream of liquid shoots between and around the ends of the electrodes with considerable velocity. Moreover, the electrode tips are so shaped that no eddies are formed back of them, and their entire surface is washed by the stream of liquid.

In the accompanying drawing, Figure 1, is a vertical section of a liquid rheostat embodying my invention, and Fig. 2 is a crosssection of thetip of an electrode on a larger scale.

The spout 1 delivers liquid to the rheostat vessel from any convenient source, such as a. reservoir 2. The rheostat vessel has a curved stationary wall 3 down which the liquid Hows, the curvature being such that the liquid suffers no loss of the Velocity 1mparted to it by the drop from the delivery spout. In that wall of the vessel 'opposite the wall 3 is an exit opening 4 controlled by a gate 5, which is preferablv a sector mounted to turn on pivots 6 concentric with the preferably cylindricalfcurvature of .the walls and bottom of the vessel. By turning Specication of Letters Patent.

)Patented Nov.. 23,

seriai no. 873,221.

this sector its overflow edge 7 may be raised and with it the level of the liquid retained in the vessel. Moreover, the form of the stream will be changed, the speed of the liq# uid gradually decreasing until finally the edge 7 reaches the cross bar 8 which thereafter serves as a sort of threshold. Under these conditions the liquid does not shoot through the vessel, but keeps it full and overowing. The surface liquid may be caught in a tank 9, from which it can be withdrawn by an opening 10.

The stationary electrodes 11, of which any desired number may be used, are furnished at their lower ends with a specially formed tip 12 having-a cross-section that oiiers the least possible resistance to the liquid. When the sector 5 is in the position illustrated, the tip just dips in the stream of liquid, and thus receives the maximum cooling effect. its the sector is lifted, and the depth of the liquid increases, theconsumption of energy is no longer concentrated upon the small surfaces of the tips 12, so that an intense.

cooling is no longer necessary. Hence it is not a disadvantage to have the velocity of the stream decrease as the edge 7 of the sector rises.

The form of tip which I prefer is shown in cross section in Fig. 2, and has a tapered front edge which easily divides the passing stream of liquid, and a tapered rear edge which prevents the formation of eddies behind the tip. These tips stand a little above the curved bottom of the vessel, as shown in Fig. 1.

In accordance with the provision of the patent statutes, I have described the principle of operation of my invention, together with the apparatus which I now consider to represent the best embodiment thereof; but I desire to have it understood that the apparatus shown is only illustrative and that the invention can be carried out by other means.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is,-

1. A liquid rheostat comprising a vessel 2. A liquid rheostat comprising a vessel having a cylindrical wall provided with an exit opening, electrodes whose lower ends are adjacent to the bottom of the vessel, tips on said electrodes shaped to offer a minimum of resistance to a stream of liquid, a spout delivering liquid at the upper end of said Wall opposite said eXit opening, and means for varying the depth of liquid in said vessel.

3. A liquid rheostat comprising a vessel having a cylindrical wall provided with an exit opening, electrodes whose lower ends are adjacent to the bottom of said vessel, tips on said electrodes having tapering front and rear edges, and a spout delivering liquid at the upper end of said wall opposite the exit. opening, whereby the liquid will follow down the curved wall and shoot between and around said tips.

4.-. A liquid rheostat comprising a vessel having a cylindrical wall, electrodes whose lower ends are adjacent thereto, a spout delivering liquid at the upper end of said wall, and a sector-shaped gate for adjusting the level of the liquid in said Vessel.

ln witness whereof, have hereunto set my hand this 21 day of October, 1914.

GEORGE SQUIRE. Witnesses:

C. STossEL, CHARLES R. KENT. 

